Late Night Visits
by AlternativeRocker
Summary: Karen regularly turns up at Matt's door, unsure of a real reason as to why and just wants to understand herself. Matt/Karen one shot.


**Authors Note:** These two characters are now taking over my fic brain and I love it! So many more to come. Siobhan Redmond is unbelievable and both these actors were on some series last month; only good part was her two minutes with hot accent and hair.

* * *

"Why do I always end up here?" This was the third time since she started at Maryhill that she had been our with her friends and then made a detour to Matt's sofa. The second time she had slept there whereas the first had only been an hour or so of her drunkenly chatting before she called for another taxi.

"You seem to have got your cab home to stop here."

"I don't mean literally; why here? Why am I not in my own place?" It was not as though she sounded annoyed, just confused, but she still sat down next to him on the sofa where she brought her knees up to her chin and rested her head on them as the room began to gently spin in her vision.

"I don't know either Karen, you barely even like me." He said as he poured them a glass of wine each - he didn't usually buy wine but she wasn't the kind of woman to drink beer and whisky would be gone all too quickly so he made sure he had a bottle in his cupboard for nights like this.

"That is not true, I like you just the right amount, at work however you are impossible." She said looking across him, her cheek now on her knees, with a smirk and he wasn't sure whether or not that meant she was telling the truth.

When she eventually brought her head back up to normal level and put her legs back down - she had learnt on her first visit he allowed her to have her boots on the chair unlike in her own apartment - she took the glass he was offering her and thanked him, neither noticing that while rearranging herself she had moved slightly closer to him.

After a few moments of silent personal thoughts and glances from both parties Karen leaned forward and pressed her lips against his ever so gently. It was the last thing he expected no matter how drunk he knew she was yet couldn't pull himself away. He removed the clasp allowing the hair she had up to fall, and tangled his fingers in it; he knew if he opened his eyes the blood red of it would contrast beautifully against her pale complexion as it framed her face.

He slowly fell back and she followed, not breaking their mouths once as his hands found the backs of her jean-clad thighs on either side of his lower was only when he was unbuttoning her shirt that they finally locked eyes and realised what they were doing. The top of her red-trimmed black bra was clearly on show yet she could do nothing but stare down at him.

She pushed herself up and off him as she muttered apologies to him. "I am so sorry, I'm wasted and you were here and oh god, please forget this ever happened!" As she spoke she was trying and failing to button the blouse, avoiding him in every way.

He had grabbed her arm by this point and spoke to her back. "Karen? Christ, look at the both of us! I've had my fair share of drink tonight but I don't remember wanting you to stop."

"Do not go there Burke!" Using his surname was just a way of putting a line between them again but they had went too far now to idly let her go. He had never consciously thought of her in this way before but it felt so natural while it had happened.

Karen knew that if she faced him again she would be lost for an excuse so tried not to let her upset be obvious in her voice as she pulled her hand out of his.

"I am sorry." Whether she was referring to the contact itself or leaving he had no idea but she had walked out before he processed it all so sat back down and poured a double measure of the bottle which was not wine, trying to ignore the second glass that remained half empty.

* * *

It was a fortnight later and once again he found her ringing the doorbell to his house after midnight.

"What is wrong with me?! Whenever I get a taxi to take me home after being out halfway through I end up asking the driver to take me here instead." He decided it was probably better not to mention that she was removing her knee-high black boots in the hall for once, "I don't bloody get it and I want you to fucking explain it to me Matt!" He had heard her curse before but never at anyone in particular and especially not as violently.

Karen could feel tears building up in her eyes and it was then that she knew why she arrived at his home - it contained somebody she now regarded as a close friend: he never once judged her even after what she did the last time; she couldn't imagine anywhere she could feel more at ease; it was the one place she didn't need to pretend to be anything she wasn't and all that scared her because she had never been so comfortable with another human especially in their home.

A few deep breaths later she managed to compose herself and comment, "I was on a date if you really want to know. He didn't even bother the crap 'I'll call you' line, just walked off after the meal."

They walked through to the living room, he let her go first, subconsciously placing a hand on her back. "You do realise the bloke must have been either an idiot or gay, right? Even then I'm surprised they didn't try it on."

"Sweet but nope, he was as heterosexual as Robbie, just didn't fancy me. Off the record, what is going on between him and Jackie?"

"I honestly don't have a clue. They have been like this since I joined but after that undercover case they seem to be a lot tighter if not actually together." He was saying this loudly as he had moved into the kitchen to get some alcohol - desperately hunting for the wine he knew he had somewhere but not recalling the exact location as he honestly had not believe she would show up again.

"How come you have to date anyway? Why aren't you married with two kids and a picket fence, living the suburban dream?"

She stood against the door frame, trying not to laugh at what she was watching. "Because picket fences would get stolen in Glasgow! Naa, I was married ages ago. I was twenty and it lasted all of thirteen months before I got too 'involved' with work - it was better than coming home to a no-hoper whose aspiration was to be on a TV quiz show, which he later achieved for some five minutes in the 90s I remember my mother telling me." He was shocked that he didn't know this about her before and raised an eyebrow at her as she opened a couple of cupboards, trying not to stare when she bent over.

"Is this what you're searching for?" She asked, holding the bottle in her hand while she pushed herself up on to the worktop next to where he reached for the glasses.

They took the drink back to the main room and she turned to him putting the glass on the coffee table, suddenly understanding what she wanted here. "I haven't touched a drop of booze all night since the guy was tee-total and I didn't want to be rude. So... if I do something now you know I'm not under the influence, thinking completely coherently and I'll understand if being sober makes you change your mind-"

"Karen, you're rambling." He had barely finished the sentence before he felt their lips touch. Without his senses being deadened by an evening of booze he could appreciate this even more than he had the previous instance. As they took their usual battle for dominance into the confines of their mouths he let one of his hands travel from her hair down to the base of her spine, smiling as he felt her moan slightly to which she replied with a slap on his arm.

This time he looked straight into her eyes as his fingers began on her shirt buttons and was afraid of seeing regret on them but all he saw was the pleasure she seemed to experience as his skin ghosted over her own.

* * *

They were getting dressed the next morning - work would begin in just over an hour and he had silently worked out he would have to drive her to her place so she could change into uniform and apply make up (which he was so glad to see her without at that moment as she looked breathtaking) - when he smiled over at her and commented, "You should accidentally end up here more often."

"I think I will." She climbed across the bed and kissed him before sorting his shirt collar, internally cringing over how crushed her shirt was compared to the clean ironed one he had put on.

"This will certainly give me better things to think about when I'm working anyway, especially in those fun fortnightly senior officers meetings when the commissioner or whoever is there with us." He murmured against her lips, his fingers finding their way under her shirt and resting on her hips.

She had managed not to think how this would affect their work relationship while enjoying herself but now that he had made a joke over it she was terrified of what it would be like. Unbeknown to her he was quite good at reading her by now so softly kissed her head, "I am partially kidding, we can be the exact same as always, just when we get home there will be times when we get along perfectly."

"Promise because I don't want to give you up either professionally or personally if that's okay by you?"

"I promise and ditto... Have you ever done it in a cop station before by the way?"

Her mouth dropped open, not believing what he had just asked her, "Stop it! No! And don't get any ideas because there is no way in hell I will," she hid her face against his shoulder as she tried to stop a blush from overtaking her entire body.

Pressing small kisses to his neck and occasionally marking with her teeth she reached his ear and whispered, "We do however have some time before we have to leave."

"I thought you would have to go home to get your things." She was still on her knees on the duvet so he ran his hands down her sides and over her backside, already content with being with her.

"Spare outfit in my office and we can just say my car wouldn't start and you live closest."

"There is a reason you're my favourite boss. I never would have thought something as trivial as sex could persuade you to maybe even be late for work. Might have tried it earlier to save my team getting in trouble." She squealed as he pushed her shoulder causing her to fall backwards on the bed as she began to undo her jeans.

"Maybe we should get Robbie and Jackie together and then they won't notice when we turn up after we're supposed to."

"Chief Super Campbell, are you saying inter-office relationships should be encouraged?" She glared up at him before subtly roping her leg behind his, bringing him down on to the bed too.


End file.
